As Mustang's 50th anniversary rapidly approaches, its maker is under enormous pressure to deliver a worthy update that will satisfy legions of loyal fans and appeal to masses around the globe. Ford finally is taking its iconic Mustang overseas.
Think of it as the flip side of One Ford, the program that brought the European Focus and Fiesta to the U.S.
Ford will deploy America's original ponycar in new markets including such right-hand-drive countries as England, Japan, and Australia. For the first time, studios in Australia and Europe are contributing to the design of the new model. And the Mustang will finally get an independent rear suspension.
A decade after then-Ford veep Phil Martens' infamous attempt to save $100 a car by scrapping IRS in favor of retaining the live axle, the Mustang will finally enter the 21st century. There will no doubt be feelings of anger, grief, and betrayal from Mustang loyalists. Aging drag racers who argued for the live axle's stoplight launch advantages gave Ford a handy excuse for the cost-cutting. Ford has done amazing things with the live rear axle, but that technology's days are past. We expect Ford will revive the independent suspension design intended for the current-generation Mustang to keep costs down, even though the cost of putting it back in is far higher than that $100 per car saved six years ago.
Believed to be based on the inexpensive and lightweight Control Blade suspension Ford developed for the hind ends of its modern front-drive cars, the suspension will be similar to that of the Australian Ford Falcon. Computer-controlled torque vectoring may be in the cards for further handling improvements. There's a small chance the live rear axle could live on in a low-volume special edition aimed at drag racers, but this would force packaging compromises in the area over the differential.
Reviving an existing suspension design will allow Ford to evolve the Mustang platform rather than start from scratch. While our sources say the new version will be smaller and lighter, many current parts will carry over to help keep costs down. Ford knows the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro will be lighter and more agile than the current model, and it needs to build that car without breaking the bank.
Carryover begins under the hood. Since they're nearly new, the 3.7-liter V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8s should stay right where they are, though we're hearing whispers of direct injection for the 5.0. Word has it a revival of the SVO model is in the works, this time using Ford's brand-new EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder.
That engine is slated to produce 247 horsepower from 2.0 liters, and would serve the base Mustang well, though we're told Ford will increase its displacement to anywhere from 2.3 liters (like the original SVO) to 2.5 liters, with a power boost, of course.
Despite rumors, we expect Ford to skip the EcoBoost 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, at least for the '15 Mustang's launch. In its present form, it doesn't make enough power to take on the Chevrolet Camaro SS. Boosting the twin-turbo's power to Camaro SS levels would mean the EcoBoost V-6 would bump right into the 5.0-liter Coyote V-8, which means the 5.0 also would need a costly power boost to make it viable.
Ultimately, it will come down to performance Mustang sales volumes and whether or not the EcoBoost V-6 makes a big difference in Ford's Corporate Average Fuel Economy numbers.
The "retro" 2005 Mustang did a great job of freshening the car's look. The 2010-'11 major face-lift worked. If you're Ford's design team, how do you follow this up? It's time to throw out the retro, and that's why a radical redesign is underway. Though Ford is soliciting input from its designers around the globe, you needn't worry about another Mustang II showing up. There will be plenty of classic Mustang cues even as designers throw out the retro. A long hood/short deck and crisp, creased upper and lower quarter-panels seem a given. Will the notchback Mustang return? We doubt it. Sales volumes no longer warrant three body styles. Shown here is our artist's rendering of what the new coupe may look like.
We'll find out for certain in April 2014 at the New York auto show, where the 2015 Mustang is expected to debut 50 years to the month after the original premiered at the same show. It could be the same day, April 17, which would be on the second day of press conferences. Depending on how far Ford takes the 50th Anniversary tie-in, cars could go on sale soon after, unofficially as 2014 cars sold as 2015s, just as the original "1964" Mustangs were always marketed as 1965 models. If Ford really wants to go overboard, the original base price, times 10, would be just $1570 more than the current base price, bringing it to $23,680. Meanwhile, a light refresh is expected for the 2013 model year.
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